Farmhouse Style Painted Furniture – An Antique Washstand Makeover
Do you have a piece of furniture in need of an update? Transform it into a stylish farmhouse-style piece with this antique washstand makeover! With just a few simple steps, you can transform your old, tired washstand into something new and beautiful. I’ll detail a makeover showing how I used chalk mineral paint and farmhouse furniture transfers for the perfect rustic look. Farmhouse Style Painted Furniture is a fun and creative way to give an old piece new life!
And if you are new to painting furniture check out Chalk Mineral Paint Basics for helpful tips on getting started.
Why Chalk Mineral Paint For Farmhouse Style Painted Furniture?
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To begin, let’s discuss the materials. For this farmhouse-style painted furniture makeover, I opted for Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint in the shade Cotton.
This particular hue embodies a neutral white, striking a balance between brightness and off-white tones. It exudes a true white essence, enhancing the overall aesthetic of the project.
Chalk mineral type paint is an excellent choice for furniture transformations. It provides strong adhesion and yields a rich, matte to eggshell finish. And white paint perfectly complements the rustic vibe of farmhouse style painted furniture. And, I wanted to maintain the refurbished charm of the piece.
Products & Supplies Used In This Project
- Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint in Cotton
- White Lightening Cleaner By Dixie Belle
- Zinsser BIN Shellac Based Primer in White
- Sandpaper 220 grit
- Electric Sander Orbital
- Dixie Belle Premium Chip Brushes – for dry brushing
- Chalk Mineral Paint by Dixie Belle in colors: Midnight Sky, Driftwood, Manatee Gray
- Dixie Belle Gator Hide Topcoat
- Painter’s Tape for Stripes
- Farmhouse Style Farm Small Transfers by Redesign With Prima – Home & Farm and Morning Farmhouse
- Dixie Belle Clear Coat in Satin
- Best Dang Wax in Black
- Wax Brush
First Step Is To Prep For Painting The Farmhouse Style Painted Furniture
Prep: Cleaning
Now, onto the process! I started by giving the washstand a good cleaning. You’d be surprised what a difference this step can make. This furniture piece is old so it has years of dirt and oils.
To learn more about cleaning and other preparations before painting read How To Prep Furniture For Painting. You’ll find helpful tips on cleaning and other necessary steps that make a difference in your final finish.
To clean this piece I used Dixie Belle White Lightening, a granular cleaner that is mixed with hot water. Follow the cleaning with a good wipe down with clean water to remove any residual cleaning residue.
Prep: Sanding
Next, I gently sanded the entire surface besides the top with a “scuff sand”. When you read about how to prep furniture for painting, you will learn more about scuff sanding.
A scuff sand is a brief sanding process typically done with a fine to medium fine grit sandpaper, usually around 180-220. It involves gently lifting or roughing up the surface to improve paint adhesion and refine its texture.
This step helps ensure better adherence of the paint, resulting in a more refined and professional finish. And a scuff sand only takes a few minutes to complete and it can be done by hand or by electric sander. So nothing that requires too much elbow grease!
However, for the washstand top I had a different painting process in mind, so I chose to really sand the top a bit more, using my electric sander. Here in the photo I used an orbital electric sander but now prefer to use my surf prep sander. You can learn more at surfprepsanding.com.
Prep: Wipe Away Sanding Dust & Prime If Needed
Next, to remove sanding dust I wiped down with a clean wet cloth and allowed it to dry. And now the fun begins! time to paint!
Firstly, let’s talk about primer. If you’re going with a light color like white, using a primer is highly recommended! While it’s not mandatory, a primer can greatly improve the coverage and, more importantly, help prevent bleed through.
Learn more about primers at: Primer For Painted Furniture.
My go to primer for this job was Zinsser BIN Shellac-Based Primer in White. Although this primer is excellent, it does have a strong odor and is oil-based.
To ensure safety, remember to use proper ventilation, wear gloves and eye protection. Additionally, it is crucial to dispose of any soiled painting equipment carefully due to the flammability of oil-based products.
Painting Farmhouse Style Painted Furniture With Chalk Mineral Paint
So, now that primer is done time for painting. Next, I applied the first coat of the Dixie Belle Paint in Cotton. Don’t worry if it looks a bit streaky at this stage.
Typically, especially with white or light colors, the first coat looks streaky. So don’t panic!
Depending on the paint brand, the chosen color and desired coverage, it typically takes 2-3 coats for full coverage.
Generally, the dry time between coats is usually around 1-2 hours, however it’s essential to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for specific drying times and re-coat times. I ended up doing two coats.
To explain, I have a post to help you with choosing the right brushes for this process also: Best Brushes For Painted Furniture
Painting The Washstand Top With A Faux Woodgrain Look
For the top of the washstand on this painted farmhouse style painted furniture makeover, I went with a faux woodgrain finish, using a dry-brushing technique. For example, here is a little video about dry brushing. Although, it is demonstrated on mason jars, the technique is the same.
The base color of the washstand top is Dixie Belle Paint in Midnight Sky, a deep charcoal gray-black. Next, using a light hand and a “dry brush technique” I feathered in streaks of Driftwood, Manatee Gray, and Cotton to accomplish a faux weathered woodgrain look.
To complete the top, apply a few coats of a good water resistant topcoat, such as Dixie Belle Gator Hide, which is what I used.
How To Dry Brush For A Faux Woodgrain Look For Farmhouse Style Painted Furniture
- Lightly and delicately dip only the tips of your brush into the paint. I typically use the Dixie Belle Premium Chip Brushes for dry brushing.
- Then, gently brush off most of the paint onto a paper towel, leaving your brush almost dry.
- With a light touch, apply the brush strokes across your painted surface in a streaky manner, using different colors to create the desired look.
- In summary, remember, there’s no need for a perfect finish – simply layer on more paint in the same manner until you achieve a result that suits your taste.
How To Create A Buffalo Plaid Pattern With Chalk Mineral Paint
The two doors of the washstand have a flat panel in them and I thought that would be super cute to show off a buffalo plaid!
Painting a buffalo plaid pattern is a fun way to add a rustic touch to your farmhouse style painted furniture makeover. Follow these steps for trendy and cozy results:
- Begin by painting the entire flat panel of the cabinet door with a base color. For a traditional buffalo plaid look, white or light gray would be a solid choice. Wait for it to dry completely. For this I used Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint in Cotton.
- Next, using painter’s tape, create horizontal stripes on the painted panel. The width of your tape will determine the size of your plaid blocks.
- Now, paint the exposed areas with your second darker color, which for me was Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint in Driftwood.
- Now, remove the tape while the paint is still slightly wet.
- Once dry create vertical stripes the same width as the first with your painter’s tape. After that apply the next shade. I chose Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint in Manatee Gray. Leave that tape in place and allow it to dry.
- Next, this is where it gets tricky. When it is dry you do not peel any tape but again replace your horizontal stripes using painter’s tape.
- Finally on the exposed rows over the gray paint with the darker shade, which was in this case, the Midnight Sky.
- Now you can peel the tape and reveal your buffalo plaid pattern.
Video: Creating Buffalo Plaid Pattern
Finally, to help explain here is a link to a short video to demonstrate my process below.
After the buffalo plaid painted pattern was dry I lightly sanded it to give it a more weathered look.
Adding Farmhouse Furniture Transfers
Next, I opted to add some fun farmhouse transfers to enhance the rustic look of this farmhouse style painted furniture. Once the paint was completely dry I then applied the furniture transfers.
These transfers add a rustic, hand-painted look without the need for any artistic skill. You just rub them on, and voila – instant farmhouse style! There are lots of farmhouse style transfers to choose from.
For this makeover I chose these farm animal themed transfers by Redesign With Prima:
For more help with transfers check out: How To Apply Redesign With Prima Transfers.
And here are some other furniture makeovers using transfers:
- Silk Midnight Green Dresser
- Round Accent Table Makeover Using Chalk Mineral Paint & Boho Transfer
- Vintage Small Table Makeover
- Painting A French Provincial Desk
- Vintage Desk Makeover
After the furniture transfers are adhered, they require a topcoat to help seal and protect them. Any good topcoat will do. I cover this below.
Protect Your Farmhouse Style Painted Furniture With A Topcoat
After applying the transfers, it’s time to add the topcoat. It is highly recommended to use a topcoat with regular chalk mineral paint. Some paints have a built-in topcoat. For example Dixie Belle Silk Paint is an all-in-one paint with topcoat and primer. To learn more:
- Dixie Belle Silk Paint
- Best All-In-One Paint For Furniture
Alternatively, you can opt for a wax finish if that’s more to your liking. A helpful post on this topic is Protect And Seal Painted Furniture.
The topcoat I used here was Dixie Belle Clear Coat in Satin for the washstand body. Two coats gave the washstand great sheen and protection.
Using Dark Wax For An Antique Rustic Look on Farmhouse Style Painted Furniture
To add just a bit of a weathered, antiqued look, I added some dark wax to this farmhouse style painted washstand furniture makeover.
Using Dixie Belle Best Dang Wax in Black and a wax brush, I added some accenting with dark wax. Dark wax gave this piece an antiqued look to enhance that rustic charm even more!
Another couple of other makeovers where dark wax was used to add a weathered antiqued finish are:
Farmhouse Style Furniture Hardware
And finally, to top off this washstand transformation, I found some perfect rustic hardware to use! These knobs and drawer pulls were purchased at Hobby Lobby. And honestly it’s like they were made for this farmhouse style washstand!
These farm animal knobs are similar. Also these black iron metal pulls for the drawers.
The other item I added was this buffalo plaid adhesive contact paper to the inside of the cabinet shelves and to line the single large drawer.
Summary: A Farmhouse Style Painted Furniture Washstand Makeover
And there you have it – an antique washstand transformed into a chic, farmhouse-style piece! Although this process might be a little detailed, but the spectacular outcome is worth every brushstroke.
This furniture makeover is a testament to the power of paint and imagination! So don’t hesitate to try it on your own. Using chalk mineral paint and a little imagination, you can create a rustic, chic look that will captivate the attention of anyone who enters your space.
So grab that neglected piece of furniture and give it a farmhouse-style makeover Remember, every piece of furniture tells a story – why not give your painted furniture a new chapter with a farmhouse style makeover?
